Volunteer Firefighter Spotlight – Ella Bryant

April 22, 2024

High school sophomore Ella Bryant is a team player. She loves softball, traveling to baseball stadiums across the country, and lending a helping hand when someone is in need. At 16, she is already considering her career options, including an interest in athletic training or physical therapy.

Regardless of where life takes Ella, she is certain of one thing: she’s going to be fighting fire.

“I loved it real quick,” she recalls. “It took a couple months to get my feet really wet, but after that, running out the house at one in the morning just gets your heart rate going, it’s real fun.”

Ella joined the Townville Volunteer Fire Department, where her dad, Mark Bryant, is assistant chief, at 14 years old. She grew up around the fire service and recognizes the impact volunteering at the fire department has across the different facets of her life.

“Learning teamwork here, that translates to many different areas,” Ella said. The teamwork learned at the fire department ultimately circles back around to school, too. “Time management, making it to meetings, working hard at training, that translates to softball and school in general.”

She gets frustrated when she misses a call because she knows she’s missing valuable learning opportunities, and she genuinely wants to help her neighbors. Living where she volunteers, Ella knows Townville’s next call may be to help someone she knows.

“When you pull up to a scene where it’s your old teacher, and you’re able to help them and get them out, like that just makes you feel good,” she said. “It definitely makes it more personal.”

Ella recalls one particular call from a few months back that’s stuck with her as a point of pride.

“One of my most proud feelings has been being a part of getting that little girl out a few months ago,” Ella recalls, “Being on the first truck there and being able to stretch the line and be a part of that.”

Volunteers like Ella are essential to communities in South Carolina, across the country, and across the globe. Their services keep society moving – free of charge.

Ella’s ‘why’ for serving as a volunteer firefighter is wise beyond her years: “The reward of helping people in their worst times, there’s just no other feeling.”